Nigerians are pushing for another civil war - Governor Aregbesola

- Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state says Nigeria might not be lucky if it plunges into another round of civil war now

- He states that no development can take place in a crisis situation

- President Buhari calls for restraint as he meets Ortom, stakeholders

Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state has warned that Nigerians perpetuating hate speeches, wickedness and massive killings in the country are unknowingly pushing the nation towards another civil war.

Aregbesola gave the warning on Monday, January 15, at the 2018 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration, The Punch reports.

According to a statement in Osogbo by the governor’s media aide, Sola Fasure, Aregbesola said the nation was lucky to come out of the first civil war.

He however noted that Nigeria might not be lucky if it was plunged into another round of civil war now.

Aregbesola said: “Through carelessness, thoughtlessness, selfishness, wickedness and hate mongering, the country may unwittingly be pushing itself towards another war.

“War is a very bad business. It is costly, deadly and ruinous, even for a supposedly winner.

“It is worse for the loser. Indeed, all are losers in a war. The resources, human and material, used to prosecute wars could have been used for the development of the people. The lesson of history is that nations and people emerged from wars weakened, devastated, poor and vulnerable.

“The worst part is that though a nation’s decision to go to war or not may be easy before the outbreak of hostilities, it is more difficult and sometimes impossible to decide to stop a war; thus we have prolonged and sometimes an indeterminate war. This is the hard part.

“We see the devastations of war in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon (and closer home) in Liberia and Sierra Leone. While some like Liberia and Sierra Leone are fortunate to put the war behind them, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and Iraq have found it difficult to stop their own wars."

The governor said that no development could take place in a crisis situation and urged Nigerian youths to apply their education in solving problems facing humanity.

President Buhari said this on Monday, January 15, when he received a delegation of political leaders, traditional rulers and elders of the state led by Governor Samuel Ortom at the Presidential Villa.

The president commiserated with all the victims of the attacks, and the families who lost loved ones and properties, noting that the government would make efforts to ameliorate the situation of all the victims.

The president said he had directed relevant agencies to start catering for the humanitarian needs of affected people.